I think the Thunderizer is a pod vehicle. I guess that's where the Power Rangers reference comes from. What annoys me most is the change in uniform. However I can't maintain fan status without giving it chance - I'm with Zordon, I'm seeing it.

Quote (mike @ 11 July 2004,16:28)[/QUOTE]I heard there are two prequels also called Ju On by the same director. Most worryingly a western remake is in the works so the director is certainly making the most of the film.I hadn't heard about Ju On 2, is it any good?Well Ju-On 2 its good but not as good as the 1st and the good thing about the US Remake is its by the Japanese director. YAY But knowing the US they wont let him kill off Buffy

Urm - they're there to rescue people, why would TBs have weapons particularly? That said, in the original series the ships and even the Traceys themselves did have weapons which tended to get used when the Hood was involved - the risk of the equivalent of industrial espionage was always a key element in the original series because it was recognised what TB tech would do in the wrong hands.I understand your point Mike - I actually think Spider-Man 2 achieved the balance you're talking about, as did something like, say, the new Battlestar Galactica series. The shows are starting to move away from effects for effects' sake, and I'm starting to find I notice more details with second watchings too. Even with something like Men In Black II - do you remember a comment that's made about it raining when the woman's unhappy? It comes late in the movie, but much earlier, when her boss is killed, she's huddled in the kitchen and the camera pans up to show it raining on the skylight. First time I'd noticed that and referenced it back to the later comment.The problem is, as in fact you highlight, that films have to try and capture more than one audience so you've got to have a mix of themes in there and target demographics is going to dictate a great deal of the emphasis of the movie. If you're lucky you can come away with a good balance, but equally it can be done in a very heavy handed "look at us aren't we clever" sort of way. Sometimes self-referencing or pop-culture references can get in the way, but I do find it quite nice because it adds another layer to the film for "those in the know".